My Humanity Is You
by DecayedSweets
Summary: After killing Bonnie, Stefan abducts Elena in order to do the same thing to her. But there's something that's stopping him...his humanity. Will the ripper kill her or will he fall in love with her all over again? ( Slightly an AU set after 8x11.)
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hey guys! Upon the request of a lovely person, I thought I'd begin to write this story and get Stefan & Elena a whole different twist than the show provided, starting with 8x11._

 _Let me forewarn you that this is my vision and it might come across as a dark one._

 _ **Important**_ _thing to keep in mind: I do not like the evolution of Elena's character after the 3_ _rd_ _season of TVD. I will try to maintain her personality from the earlier seasons._

 _Please review and tell me what you think about the first chapter! c;_

 _I don't own The Vampire Diaries._

* * *

Damon swerved the car around abruptly, making the wheels protest with a loud noise. He took his phone and dialed Bonnie, anxiety gnawing at his heart while he waited for her to answer. He was in a state of extreme distress, not knowing what news to expect from his friend. He had been sure that Stefan would never kill Elena, with or without his humanity. But after hearing his brother's careless words towards the subject, he couldn't do anything but pray that Enzo and Bonnie would do everything to keep Elena safe.

"Bonnie, hey." He said once she picked up, his voice giving away his nervousness.

All he got back were sobs. And not Bonnie's.

"Enzo?" he called doubtfully, his forehead creasing into a frown. "Enzo, what happened? Where's Bonnie? Is Elena okay?" he bombarded the other with questions, his heartbeat racing by the second.

"She's…she's gone." Enzo muttered weakly, as if he was shaken by tears.

The older Salvatore pressed on the brakes suddenly, so fast he was propelled into the windshield. He raised his palm in the last second to prevent his head colliding with the glass.

"Elena…Elena's dead?" he quavered, feeling the blood in his veins turn to ice.

"No!" Enzo exclaimed with such agony it made Damon's heart miss a beat. "Bonnie is. Your brother killed her." He uttered, emphasizing the word _brother_ with hatred and disgust.

Damon's mouth gaped open in shock. His icy blue eyes widened and he stared into the horizon, his vision covered by an ephemeral black veil. He held the phone to his ear speechless, not being able to articulate a sound. As he processed the information, a bottomless crevasse carved itself into his heart. Bonnie was dead. _Bonnie_. The strongest person he had ever met.

But Enzo's following sentence was just another lightning striking him:

"…- and he abducted Elena."

/...

He couldn't do it.

Stefan hurled a chair into the wall with a moderate force, so it wouldn't break. In case she woke up any soon, he wouldn't want to offer her the perfect weapon to neutralize him and escape. He started to pace impatiently through the room, sometimes darting a furtive glance towards her as if she could vanish into pure air.

He felt nothing for her, absolutely nothing ( or so he kept repeating to himself) – so why couldn't he garner the necessary ruthlessness to kill her? He ripped Bonnie's heart out without flinching.

But with her, it was different.

Every time he looked at her, he felt a strange spark of warmth permeate his soul, despite the hundreds of iron shields and walls that protected him from humanity. And that was just another reason why he should end her meaningless life. Nevertheless, he couldn't do it. She made him weak.

Elena was going to hate him for the rest of her life if Damon or someone else failed to bring Bonnie back to life. At the moment, that thought didn't affect him at all. Maybe if she hated him with all her heart, it would become easier and easier to kill her someday. To kill his weakness.

The younger Salvatore took the fallen chair and placed it by the bed, sitting on it. He grabbed the diary from the bed stand and started reading it without any interest. It was Caroline's journal, which explained almost everything that had happened while Elena was asleep. He brought it with him intentionally, so he wouldn't have to summarize two years to her. When he grew bored, he flipped the pages until he found a blank one and began writing himself. Just as he finished the last sentence, he heard her shift slightly. Stefan riveted his emerald hues to her. She was breathing calmly, her chest rising and falling down rhythmically. Chocolate strands veiled the right side of her face and he inhibited the urge to move them away. She looked like the sculpture of a goddess…

Elena opened her eyes. She swiftly explored the surroundings, her sight landing on him and freezing. She supported herself on one elbow as they exchanged a long, intensive gaze. He strived to keep his look impassible, but her eyes were lustrous, full of kindness and a timid glimmer that lightened up her face. She seemed so young and small, buried in the blankets.

"Stefan." She greeted him warmly, a soft smile forming on her lips.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty's up. And she didn't even need a kiss. Thank God. You know, your prince is very irritating. Even when he's not here." He said bleakly despite the tumult of mixed emotions inside him, maintaining eye contact defiantly. _Don't feel_ , he mentally ordered to himself, scrutinizing her carelessly. She was just another human.

Maybe if he repeated that enough to himself he would truly believe it.

Her countenance immediately changed upon hearing his glacial tone. She rose to a seated position, her smile faltering after studying him once more. The curve of his lips was turned upwards into the shadow of a malicious smirk and his eyes, usually so gentle, were devoid of emotion. His mere presence emanated coldness and a feeling of foreboding overwhelmed her. The realization dawned upon her like a cold shower.

"Why did you turn it off?" she asked worryingly.

"The devil made me do it." He replied simply, with no trace of derision to her surprise.

She furrowed her eyebrows, confused by his answer. She decided to abandon the topic momentarily, inhaling deeply.

"O…okay." She uttered cautiously, frowning. "Why am I here? What year is it?"

"It's - uh – two thousand seventy five." He asserted with a straight face, watching her gravelly.

She parted her lips dejected, scanning his expression to detect a sign of bluffing. She didn't have to wait long; Stefan's figure shook with a mischievous mirth that presaged danger.

"It's not funny." She sighed with a tinge of relief, running her fingers through her hair. "Will you answer my questions or are you going to keep making fun of me?"

Elena was in an emotional impasse. On one hand, she was really glad to see him, although she didn't expect him to be that way when she woke up. Regardless of his state, he was still Stefan. And she knew that deep down was the man she loved, imprisoned by his own mind in an adamantine cage. On the other hand, she had no idea how to react and what to do. Her friends weren't there. She was alone with him and if she had presumed correctly, no one even knew where they were. It was the Gilbert lake house; she recognized it the minute she opened her eyes. She had both good and terrible memories here. She just hoped the terrible list of memories wouldn't expand.

And while she had no idea why he brought her here and what he was about to do, the younger Salvatore seemed to enjoy her bafflement greatly. Every word he spoke, every gesture of his was controlled, like a predator patiently waiting for the mouse to take the bait. And the predator was rarely patient, which only scared her more. She hated how vulnerable she felt at the moment, how ignorant of everything that had happened.

"The second option is much more entertaining. But it's only fair if I tell you." He started, rising up from the chair and placing the diary on it. His eyes shone menacingly, blazing into hers.

The brunette tried to keep her composure. Her sight travelled from his face to his hands and her stance petrified. They were stained with _blood_. She stood still, not daring to move. And then, as if a cold gust of wind whipped her body, she jumped from the bed out of a sudden, broadening the distance between them.

"Actually, it's fine. You don't have to tell me anything. Just let me go, okay?" she requested with a gentle, but firm timbre.

To her distress, he shook his head slowly, stepping closer to her with determined steps until he was close enough she could see rings of fire in his emerald irises. He could touch her if he just extended his arm a bit. Elena didn't let the fear that was creeping in her bones show on her face. She looked him in the eyes defiantly, trying to find a spark of humanity and hold onto it. But there was none.

"I ripped Bonnie's heart from her chest." He admitted blandly. "And I intended to do the same thing to you." He went on cruelly, inching closer to her. Elena instinctively distanced herself from him, but her back touched the wall, depriving her from a way out. She shook her head, refusing to believe him.

"Please stop. You're lying." She pleaded him, directing her gaze on the floor. "You're only saying this to hurt me."

He placed two fingers under her chin, forcing her to raise her head and look him in the eye.

"I don't want to hurt you. I want to break your heart the way you broke mine. And I'm just getting started."


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Thank you for your reviews! They make my day! :) I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I'm still in school and I have homework and other stuff so it might take a while. Also, I'm really ill at the moment & I feel poorly,_

 _Anyway, please let me know what you think c;_

 _I don't own The Vampire Diaries._

* * *

Stefan flipped the body of the man to the ground, speeding to the last unfortunate woman that happened to be in his path. He didn't even bother to wipe the blood from his chin as he placed his hands on her shoulders. The lady opened her mouth to scream, but he quickly pressed his palm on her lips, muffling her voice.

"Calm down." he shushed her coldly. "Answer one question right and I'll let you go. Deal?" he added reassuringly. That didn't ease the woman's disquietude at all. She started shaking in fear, begging him with her eyes to let her go. "Do you think you're a good person?" he asked rhetorically, still keeping his hand on her mouth to keep from answering. He caught her sight and went on with a hypnotizing voice, compelling her:

"Say no."

The younger Salvatore slowly released her, smiling viciously when he heard her comply. He nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you for your honesty. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He chuckled, winding his hand in her copper red hair. Her face turned ashen and she started spluttering unintelligible pleas, but he dismissed them all, tilting her head back and exposing her neck. His fangs punctured his lower lip and he struck – the woman screeched and made a frail attempt to push him back. However, she gave up sooner than he expected and went limp in his arms. "…and neither will you." He remarked, dropping her.

His phone buzzed in his pocket again. He had ignored it for most of the day, but the incessant calls were getting to his nerves already. His brother was the one calling him this time, not Caroline. The vampire licked his lips and answered exasperatedly:

"Hey. Calling to tell me that I'm not your brother anymore, that you finally hate me and you hope I burn in hell?" he inquired passively, stepping over the dead body of the woman and walking away as if nothing happened.

"You just said it for me." The other retorted, his voice filled with anger and reproach. "I'm so not in the mood for your 'I'm a ripper and I don't give a damn about you' attitude. Where's Elena?" he asked aggressively.

Stefan laughed shortly, striding without haste on the road to his newly acquired car.

"I thought I'd get a little credit for killing Bonnie but instead, you ask about your soon-to-be-dead girlfriend?"

"Don't you dare flaunt that in my face. You may be my brother, but I swear to God, Stefan, if you lay a hand on Elena I'll come and kill you myself." The eldest threatened with hostility.

"Really? Considering that I'll come back to life, you're really not that terrifying, brother." He quipped, getting in the vehicle.

"You'll never forgive yourself for taking the life of our friend. But if you kill Elena, mark my words, you won't be able to live with yourself." Damon continued desperately.

"That's deep. Too bad it's not deep enough to reach my inexistent morality." he mocked, hanging up.

"Stefan?" the oldest Salvatore said, obviously not getting an answer. "Dammit!" he exclaimed, tossing his phone on the bed angrily. He turned to Caroline, his nostrils flaring with fury. "I lost him. I lost Bonnie and I can't…I can't lose Elena."

"You won't!" the blonde interjected, stepping towards him. She was almost unrecognisable. Her hair was messy, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes puffy from all the tears she had shed. "Stefan has done horrible, unforgivable things, but you and I both know that if there's one person who can pull him back from that darkness, it's Elena. No matter what he says, he would never, never kill her. She is his last shred of humanity. Have a little faith. Your brother may be lost, but his love for her isn't."

"Did you not hear him on the phone?!" Damon snapped, glaring at her. "Cade gave him a choice: to kill one hundred people or the love of my life. He clearly made his choice after murdering Bonnie in cold-blood and abducting Elena. "

"Exactly. He snapped Enzo's neck and…" she gulped, tears welling up in her blue eyes. "…- and neutralised Bonnie. There was nothing stopping him from killing Elena. But he didn't." she continued, trying to regain her composure and control her voice. "My two best friends are gone because of him. But only one of them is breathing."

"So what are you suggesting? To leave my girlfriend with Ted Bundy: Stefan's edition and light a candle for her peace?" he replied sardonically, his hands twitching and clenching angrily.

"No." Caroline objected gravely, crossing her arms over her chest. "Matt and the whole police department are looking for her. There's nothing you can do to help her right now except for one thing: talk to Cade and convince him to bring Bonnie back."

"But what if I fail?" he asked hopelessly, riveting his gaze to the floor.

"Then we'll try again. Until we succeed."

/...

Elena stopped in the centre of the room, looking around her. Ever since Stefan left, she desperately tried to find a way to escape. Her only option was to break a window, but she felt extremely weak and she barely could hold herself on her legs. She was in shock, not being able to accept the fact that her best friend was really dead. It hurt both physically and mentally to think about it. After a myriad of bitter tears, she realised that Bonnie would've wanted her to be strong and do whatever was in her power to get away from Stefan. She couldn't recognise him anymore. Not after what he had done without remorse.

Her eyes burnt from crying and she wiped a singular tear from her cheek while she inhaled deeply, gathering her strength. She grabbed the chair next to the bed and with trembling hands she threw it in the window, investing as much force as she was capable of. After repeated strikes, the glass was only scratched, but there was no sign that it would break any soon. She let out a sob of despair, dragging the chair back to its initial position. She placed her hand on her forehead, trying to keep cool-headedness and not panic. She sat on the bed and she caught sight of a diary on the bed stand. She took it, opening it curiously. It was Caroline's. After reading all of her entries, she came across someone else's handwriting. She immediately recognised it and her heart missed a beat.

 _Dear Elena,_

 _I really don't get why Caroline has to be so sentimental. She also failed to tell you the most important things, like the fact that my mother was the one to give Kai the idea to link your sleeping regime to Bonnie, or that we had to put up with a lunatic vampire hunter, Rayna and two psycho sirens and then the actual devil. To sum it up, me and Damon are working for him and we have to send as many corrupted souls in hell as possible. I think I found my true calling in life._

 _Killing Bonnie, by the way, was_

The entry ended abruptly with that unfinished sentence, the next page torn off from the diary. She reread it multiple times to fully grasp it. The mention of sirens and the devil was very confusing and she also felt betrayed by Lily Salvatore, even though she barely had known her. She regretted reading it, because now she couldn't help but wonder how he'd continue and why he tore the page off; plus, her head was aching tremendously.

The sound of keys turning into the lock startled her and she swiftly closed the diary and put it where it was, as if she had been doing something clandestine. Stefan slammed the door shut and came in with several shopping bags in his hands, heading to the kitchen. She pulled the blanket over her knees, staring at the floor.

"Do you really expect me to believe that while I was away you've been admiring the carpet for two hours?" he asked amusedly, leaning against the door frame and placing his hands in the front pockets of his black pants.

"Believe what you want." She spat with hostility, her cheeks burning.

He chuckled shortly, only enhancing her anger.

"Aren't you just adorable when you pout." He commented mockingly, seeming to take great delight in her antagonism. "Anyway, I'll let you brood now. I hope Chicken Parmesan is still your favourite, 'cause that's what we're having tonight."

Elena raised her eyebrows, but didn't comment. It was strange that even after 8 years he remembered such petty, normal details about her. But she did too – the memory of him cooking for her was vivid, like it happened yesterday. She folded her arms over her shoulders as the Salvatore disappeared into the kitchen.

She suddenly jumped up from the bed, the simplest and at the same time the most stupid plan forming into her head. But she had to at least try. She entered the kitchen and saw him laying a cutting board on the table, placing mozzarella on it. He took a knife from a drawer and started to cut the cheese into little cubes. She cleared her throat to get his attention:

"I want to help." She uttered, looking at him defiantly. Her heartbeat started to race anxiously, but she knew that he could hear it, so she tried to take small breaths not to give herself away sooner than necessary.

His emerald eyes became wider for a second. He gazed into hers suspiciously, long enough to make her uneasy, but neither of them let themselves be intimidated. She thought he was going to refuse, but he voiced at last, nodding.

"Alright. Why don't you beat two eggs in a shallow bowl?"

"No." she protested, a bit too fierce. She instantly corrected her mistake and softened her voice. "I feel like cutting something. I'm sure you understand why." She added weakly, placing her palm over his hand that was holding the knife. A short twinge of electricity struck her body, cutting her breath away for a moment. Stefan must've felt it too, for his hand slightly stirred under hers, but his countenance remained stone cold.

He slowly released the knife, watching her in the eye the whole time. She took over it, cutting the mozzarella into tiny pieces intentionally under his sight, knowing that it wouldn't be long until he'd assert critically with a laugh:

"Um, you actually need to dice the cheese, not chop it."

In other circumstances, she would've genuinely laughed with him and tease the 170-year old vampire master chef. For the first time his voice sounded so much like the Stefan she knew, with his warm and melodious mirth. It made her heart fill with nostalgia and shrink to the size of a bead. If only he hadn't killed Bonnie. If only he hadn't abducted her and kept her there against her will. If only he hadn't turned his emotions off.

She bit her lower lip determined, fighting back hot tears and turned around brusquely, using the element of surprise to stab him into the chest, as close to his heart as she could, without actually grazing it. He had forgotten to lock the front door in the hallway, giving her the perfect opportunity to escape.

She didn't look back and ran like hell.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thank you my lovelies for your encouraging words! Constructive criticism is always welcome and so is any review, really :)_

 _I don't own The Vampire Diaries._

* * *

Elena couldn't remember when was the last time she had run so fast without stopping. She was out of breath, she had a sharp pain in the lower side of her stomach and she felt like her legs were encircled by invisible tendrils and roots growing from the ground that slowed her down, pulling her underneath. She had only been running for three minutes, but it felt like thirty, because her body was weak and she wasn't wearing the most appropriate attire for a run in the woods, with her thin dress and flat shoes. Adrenaline was her only source of energy, pumping in her veins and she hoped it wouldn't end any soon. Luckily, the forest wasn't very broad so she could soon find a payphone or ask for someone's phone to call Damon. Unless his brother found her first, which was a much more realistic turn of events. She didn't let naivety blind her. Stefan was going to appear any time and take her back to the cabin. But she wasn't going to make it easy for him. She dodged the trees and kept running, until she stepped on something that made a strange sound and just felt off under her foot, so off she had to stop. She bent her knees and inclined her back forward, supporting her palms on her legs to catch her breath. Still breathing heavy, she inhaled deeply the fresh air one more time before going to see what was the thing she stepped on. She narrowed her eyes concentrating and pushed the leaves and dirt away with the tip of her shoe. Shock snapped her eyes wide open and froze her breath. She gasped in panic, the scream stopping in her throat.

It was the hand of a dead woman.

She staggered back, her whole body shaking, right into a pair of toned arms that wrapped around her, her back pressed against his hard chest. She jolted at his touch but she didn't push him away, propping all off her weight on him. His presence immediately had a calming effect on her, although she was still shivering with emotion. Anger that he caught her, horror at what she had seen. And hate when she heard him utter with a condescending, indifferent tone:

"At least this one still has skin."

She made a sound of disgust and pushed his chest with her elbows as hard as she could, distancing herself from him. The brunette faced him with a hurt look, her eyes sparkling with tears of frustration that clouded her vision. His, on the other side, were two glaciers of liquid emerald, spreading coldness and malicious amusement.

"Stay away from me." She mumbled with detestation, raising her hand in the air as if that would keep him from coming any closer.

Stefan rolled his eyes exasperatedly, taking a deep breath to muster some patience.

"I can't. And I won't." he said with sheer honesty, not even trying to embellish the situation for her. "So either stop whatever drama you're playing and get here or I'll play along and drag you back to the house." His voice was authoritative and left no place for a protestation.

"No." she pronounced clearly and adamant, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not going anywhere with a cold-blooded _murderer_." She emphasized the last word, raising her chin upwards slightly.

He remained completely unfazed by her acidic remark. His eyebrows rose shortly and he approached her with confident steps.

"Do you really have to complicate everything?" he asked rhetorically, his fingers closing in on her arm. She glowered at him angrily as he pushed her towards him, trying to get her to walk. She dug her heels as deeply as she could in the ground, determined not to go anywhere. He sighed, plastering a beautiful (but deadly) smile on his face, in complete opposition to his cutting, menacing tone:

"If you don't walk right now, I'll throw you over my shoulder and lock you in the basement until you apologise for stabbing me."

Fear shorn her flesh like a knife, but she maintained a straight face and licked her dry lips, eyeing him with defiance.

"You wouldn't."

He took it as a provocation. His hands travelled to her waist and raised her up in the air effortless, bringing her closer. Elena placed her palms on his shoulders to stop him, objecting repeatedly.

"Stop it, Stefan!" she requested urgently, clinging to his shoulders desperately. "I'll walk! Just put me down." She told him with annoyance and bitterness, knowing she lost the battle.

The younger Salvatore put her on the ground excruciatingly slow, gazing in her eyes the whole time, as if to gloat over his victory. She couldn't remember when was the last time they had been this close. The tip of their noses almost touched and she could feel his soft breath on her face. She suddenly became extremely aware of their closeness and stepped back.

"Elena, I need to…"

She didn't wait to hear what he needed to do or say. She slapped him with all her force, all of her sorrow and ache over losing her best friend. Her teeth clamped together, her jaw stern.

"Stabbing you was the least I could do to you for killing Bonnie."

She didn't glance at him as she passed by him, intentionally hitting his shoulder. If she had, she probably would have seen the shape of her palm on his cheek and the red marks of her fingertips. And the guilt and self-hatred that flooded his eyes. But she didn't.

/...

Caroline cleared her throat, looking at the male at the table with a distinct tinge of repugnance and caution, like he was some sort of dangerous primate who escaped from the zoo. She turned to Damon and lowered her voice to an angry whisper:

"This is your great idea?!"

The older Salvatore watched the man over the blonde's shoulder appraisingly, frowning when he saw him pouring salt in the glass of water he was drinking.

"Yeah, okay, I didn't say it was great. But Cade refused to bring her back. This messed up psycho didn't."

"I can totally hear you. Not cool, Damon." Kai noted, making a 'tsk tsk' sound with his tongue disapprovingly.

"Shut up!" both Caroline and the Salvatore interjected swiftly.

The Gemini sighed dramatically, adding pepper to his water. It still didn't taste like anything to him.

"Do you have any idea what he's asking for? Dark objects! He's dark enough on his own. God knows what he'll do with that much power." The blonde declared.

"Actually…" Kai chimed in again, "I'm pretty sure God doesn't know yet, 'cause neither do I. But if you're wondering, it'd be really nice to create a magical burger that tastes like actual food and not plastic." He said, suddenly contemplating something. "Ohh. I just realized I've never tasted plastic. Do you have some?"

Damon slapped the nape of the hybrid's neck easily, without an actual intention to hurt him.

"Hey, let grown ups do the talking. Go and chew some paper."

"Sounds tasty to me."

Caroline rolled her eyes in irritation and riveted her attention on her interlocutor again.

"If something goes wrong – " she started worryingly, but was silenced by the other.

"We kill him and he goes back to hell. Easy as that." He assured her. "The Armory has a lot of Dark Objects. They won't even notice their absence."

The blonde nodded reluctantly, sighing. She ran a hand through her wavy hair, looking more tired than ever.

"Okay. For Bonnie. Speaking of which, have you spoken to Enzo?" she asked, looking at him pensively.

"Not since Stefan…" he broke off, not being able to finish the sentence.

"Yeah." She just said knowingly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't imagine what he's through right now. Where is he?"

Damon's lips parted, but he didn't answer, looking around the room and cursing mentally.

"I have a better question. Where the hell is Kai?"

/...

"Don't worry. I won't tell Damon you had dinner with me." Stefan quipped with an ironic smile, running his thumb on the rim of the glass.

"I'm not having dinner _with_ you. I'm just having dinner and you happen to be seated at the same table." She contradicted him wearily, watching the food in her plate to avoid his eyes.

"Is the idea of having dinner with me that obnoxious?" he asked with a snicker.

"Yes." She answered promptly. "Because I'm having dinner with the person who killed my best friend and is holding me against my will." She added in a harsh tone, taking a sip of water.

The Salvatore stopped with his fork mid-air. He placed it back on the table and licked his lips, searching for her sight.

"And I'm having dinner with the person who cheated on me with my brother and proved to be just like Katherine. But hey, we're good, right?" he retorted sardonically.

She raised her head to meet his emerald eyes at last and espied a scintilla of pain behind a veil of coldness and stillness. "Why are you bringing this up? I thought we're past that." Her forehead creased into a puzzled frown.

His palm slammed on the table with a loud sound and she jolted slightly in her chair surprised at his terse reaction.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Some of us need a little bit more time to replace their soulmate."

His reply left her speechless. She was feeling like he had slapped her back ten times harder. There was a numb ache in her heart that she tried to ignore, but soon it made it hard to breathe. Tears welled up in her chocolate eyes for the tenth time that day and when she finally gathered strength to speak, her timbre was weak and strangled.

"What are you trying to achieve out of this? Isn't the pain you've caused me enough?"

He laughed maniacally, making the blood in her veins turn to ice.

"The pain I've caused you? Unbelievable." He muttered irately, looking exasperated.

"You killed Bonnie!" she exclaimed with reproach, tears escaping from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.

"I did it for you!" he shouted without thinking, his stentorian voice echoing in the house. He got up from the chair, scolding himself mentally for losing his temper. He suddenly felt the urge to rip something apart and he knew that if he didn't leave immediately, it could be Elena's throat. But she had other plans and they did not include him leaving.

"What do you mean?" she asked, leaping up to her feet.

He ignored her, storming by her to the exit. The walls seemed to close in on him, suffocating him. Each step of his was full of barely leashed anger that could get out of control any time. She followed him stubbornly and grabbed his hand before he could reach the door, pulling him towards her with a power and determination he thought she didn't own.

"Stefan. Don't you walk away from me now." She demanded aversely, squeezing his hand.

He sighed, darting her a fierce look.

"Cade…the devil offered Damon and I a choice. Damon's was to kill one hundred people or the woman I loved, Caroline. Mine was… slightly different. He told me to kill the woman my brother cared about more than he cared about anyone else." He made a small pause, time in which he gazed at her nonchalantly. "I let him believe I was about to kill you. I let everyone believe that because I – uh – for a moment, I thought I could do it. I wanted to do it." He saw her wince upon hearing his words and the grip on his hand loosened but she didn't let go of him yet. She watched him crying silently, waiting for him to continue. Seeing her like that only made it harder for him to talk, guilt smothering him. "But I knew there are only two women Damon loves more than anything. His girlfriend and…his best friend." He exhaled, lowering his glance to the floor. "But I only love one of them more than anything. And it's not Bonnie." he declared with a modulated tone, his hues glimmering enigmatically.

He showed no emotions whatsoever on his face. He stood there before her, his features carved into stone as her shoulders quavered uncontrollably from crying. She let go of his hand, feeling an immense hollowness replacing the avid pain from her soul. They were standing inches away from each other, but there was a chasm between them greater than ever.

He turned around on his heels and made his way to the exit. This time, she didn't stop him.

He opened the door.

Stefan instinctively stepped back at the sight of a feral grimace, imbued with so much hate and wrath it looked his eyes could burn him alive. Elena gawked at the figure before them.

"Hello, Stefan. And Elena." Enzo greeted coldly. "You better start running, love. Things are going to get too brutal for a lady."


End file.
